Field



(No Model.) W. W. HATFIELD.

GATE.

No. 555,808. nPa tent ed a a, 1896.

Units terns A arnr 1 tries.

VEVTVORTH \V. HATFIELD, OF SIIELBYVILLE, ILLINOIS.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,808, dated March 3,1896.

Application filed March 11, 1895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WENTWORTH W. HAT- FIELD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Shelbyville, in the county of Shelby and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Gate, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of gates whereinthe gate is mounted so as to be capable of swinging longitudinally asdistinguished from a sidewise movement, and the principal feature of theinvention lies in certain hereinafter-specified improvements in thelatch mechanism, this part of my gate being so constructed that it willbe automatically operated concurrently with and in consequence of thatoperation which results in the swinging of the gate.

This improved mechanism, generally defined, consists of avertically-extending lever connected with a horizontally-extendinglatch-bar, and having at its upper end a loop through which the lowerend-s of the operating-rods pass, the said rods being connected to thegate at their lower ends by an inclined or diagonally-extending rod.

This mechanism will now be described in detail and finally embodied inthe claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents in perspective a gate constructedafter the manner of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevationof the latch mechanism.

The reference-numeral 1 indicates the headpost of the gate, or that postwith which the latch is connected. 2 indicates a post or standardplanted at the opposite end of the gate and extended upwardly for adistance equal to about twice the height of the post 1. This post orstandard 2 is adapted to carry the operating-levers of the gate, as willbe explained by subsequent description. Located adjacent to the post orstandard 2, and alongside the same, is the short standard 3, which isformed with an outwardly-inclin ed or beveled inner side, and it isbetween this standard and the standard 2 that the gate is adapted tomove.

The gate is constructed, preferably, of a wooden framework, and consistsessentially of the horizontal slats 4:, joined by the vertical beams 5and having braces 6, which may be increased in number or entirelydispensed with, as the exigencies of the occasion may require. Themiddle slat 4 is extended rearwardly to form the guide-rod 7, which isintegral with the slat and which is extended rearwardly for a distanceequal to about the length of the gate.

8 indicates a post provided with a slot 9 at its upper end. This slot isclosed at each end and is adapted for the reception of the rod'7, saidrod being slidably arranged therein. By these means the gate is guidedin its longitudinal movement and prevented from moving sidewise.

10 indicates two supporting-rods, which are duplicates in constructionand which have their lower ends respectively and pivotally connected tothe standards 2 and 3 by means of the rod or spindle 11, which is passedhorizontally from one standard to the other, the supporting-rods 10being located between said standards. The length of the rods 10 is suchthat they will be capable of reaching the middle upper portion of thegate when it is in a closed position 5 and it is to this part of thegate that the said rods are pivotally connected by means of the spindle12, which is passed through the rods and through the gate. The rods 10are arranged one on either side of the gate and so that the gate will becapable of swinging between them. Thus it will be seen that the gate mayswing on the supporting-rods 10 without any of the parts binding againsteach other, all of which will be fully described hereinafter.

Movable longitudinally and horizontally in an eye 13 and upon the middleslat 4 is the latch-bar 15, which is provided with a retraetile spring16, whereby it is given a tendency to project into the opening 17 of thel1ead-post 1, its movements in such direction being limited by theprojections 18 formed on the latch-bar. Pivotally connected to thelatch-bar 15, by means of the pin 19, is the vertically-extending lever20, which extends the entire width of the gate and which is fulcrumedthereto at its lower end, its movements being limited by the guide 21fixed to the middle slat of the series 4.. The upper and free end of thelever 20 is provided With a wire or rod 22, which is pivotally connectedthereto and which has one of its ends extended rearwardly and formedwith a loop or eye 23.

Through this eye or loop the operating-rods 24 pass at theirlower ends,such lower ends being formed with eyes 25 therein, which receive the bar26. This bar 26 is the diagonal orinelined bar of prior mention, and issecured to the upper middle portion of the gate by bending its endsdownwardly and passing them thereinto, leaving the middle portion of thebar above the gate and inclined upwardly and rearwardly from its frontside.

The operating-rods 24 are passed upwardly and rearwardly to the vicinityof the upper end of the standard 2,where they are provided with eyes 27,by which a pivotal connection is effected with the respectiveoperating-levers 28. These levers are two in number, one for each of therods 24, and are fulcrumed to the respective outer ends of the cross-barby means of the spindles 29. The arrangement of the levers 28 is suchthat their outer ends will project beyond the cross-bar 30 and in aposition which will make it possible for them to be readily grasped loyaperson desiring to operate the gate. Thus it..will be seen that bydrawing down on the outer ends of. the levers 28 the rods 24 will bemoved along the inclined portion of the bar 26, drawing with them thelever 20. This will move the latchbar 15 rearwardly and cause it tobecome disengaged from the opening 17 of the head-post. Then thisoperation takes place the eyes 25 will have reached the rear extremityof the inclined bar 26, whereupon the actual swinging of the gate willcommence. This operation consists of an endwise and arc-shaped movementcontinuing until the rear end of the gate engages the beam 8, and untilthe guide-rod 7 has passed completely through the slot 9 thereof. Thegate is now open, so as to permit the passage of such. persons as maydesire to go through it.

The gate is operated to open and close by swinging the outer portion ofeither one of the operating-levers downward, and this will cause thegate to slide, its momentum will carry it past the center, and gravitywill complete the operation. The inclined bar 26 also assists inattaining this end, since it allows the operating-rods 24 a slightlongitudinal movement on the gate, or rather effects a slidingconnection therewith, which permits the rods to slide past the center ofgravity should it still be retained after the first movement of theoperating-lever.

hen a person has opened the gate and passed through the same, the leveron the opposite side thereof will permit him to close the gate again,and this closing operation will be a mere reversal of the openingoperation. I11 practice it will be desirable in some cases to furnishthe operating-levers 28 with counterbalancing-weights designed tobalance the gate and make the operation thereof easier. In this case theweights should be made of less gravity than that of the gate, thusinsuring the falling of the gate into a closed or opened position, asthe conditions of its operation may necessitate.

Having described the invention, I claim 1. In a longitudinally-swinginggate, the combination of a suitably-supported operatin g-lever, a gateproper, a bar having its ends bent downward and passed into the upperedge of the gate and having its middle portion extending longitudinallyof and arranged above the gate, a latch mounted 011 the gate, anoperating-rod connected with said lever, and having its lower endslidingly connected with the said bar and also connected with the latchand adapted to operate the same, and a supporting-rod pivotally mountedoff the gate proper, and similarly connected to the gate, substantiallyas described.

2. In a longitudinally-swinging gate, the combination of asuitably-supported operating-lever, an operating-rod pivotally connectedthereto, a gate proper, a bar having its ends bent downwardly and passedinto the gate and having its middle portion located above the upper sidethereof, to which middle portion of the bar the lower end of theoperating-rod is slidingly connected, a verti cally-eXtending leverfulcrumed to the gate proper and at its lower end and provided with aloop or eye connected to the lower end of the operating-rod, aspring-pressed latch-bar located horizontally on the gate proper andconnected to the vertical lever, and a supporting rod or rods pivotallymounted off the gate proper and similarly connected to the gate,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

lVENTVVORTI-I XV. HATFIELD.

\Vitnesses:

G. W. MoNEEsE,

his GEORGE X M. GRIPP.

mark

